AARP 1-31-21
According to the Wyoming Secretary of State statistics, Wyomingites age 50 and over turned out in the highest numbers of any age demographic which voted in the 2020 Elections.
In all, Wyomingites cast over 277,000 ballots in 2020. Voters age 60-69 made up 58,585 of the total vote, which was the most votes cast by any age band in Wyoming in 2020. Voters between the ages of 50 and 59 were next, casting a total of 44,939 votes.
While they didn’t cast the most votes in the state, the most reliable voting block was voters between age 70 and 79 where 85% of those registered voters cast a ballot. That was followed by 77.8% of voters age 60-to-69, and 69% of voters age 80 and over. This compares to 61% of registered voters aged 40-49 and 54% of voters in their 30’s.
“One thing we know about our older Wyomingites is they hold their voting rights sacred and they consistently vote,” says AARP Wyoming State Director Sam Shumway. “Candidates have always been able to count on the vote of the age 50-plus in Wyoming knowing that this voting block is as informed on state issues and votes of state legislators as any. Understanding the needs of our state’s older voters is key in Wyoming to a winning campaign.”
These numbers are no surprise to those who follow voter turnout in the Cowboy State. Traditionally Wyomingites in their seventies have had the highest voter turnout every election since 2010. In 2008, the oldest voter data made available by the Secretary of State, voters in their sixties held the highest percentage of registered voters casting a ballot.
“We are so proud of Wyomingites who choose to exercise their voting rights,” Shumway says. “We talk to members who tell us Election Day is an event for them, which is why we work so hard to protect voting rights for our state’s 50+. That includes advocating for a Voter ID bill that includes a Medicare Card option, to opposing policies that would make voting more difficult for older Wyomingites, such as requiring in-person-only voting. ”